In this time of escalating real-estate costs and high inflation, co-op
studios are becoming the norm. For me, this all came from necessity. My
business/creative partner Anne -Lise and I had been sharing a
live/work space in lower Manhattan for two years and were starting to
drive each other nuts. (On top of it all, we’re also planning our
wedding; whatta way to go completely crackers.) The
hour was upon us to find work space, so we decided to go for It. But
hold on a second — real estate is freaking expensive in New York City. We
barely had cash flow to keep a home/studio going, so how in the world
could we even think about finding office space?
When we first began looking, I’d been doing some freelance DVD
authoring at a shop called Broadness, just three blocks down the street
on Spring and Broadway in SoHo, and had fallen in love with the place.
The owner Randolph Hudson was a musician-turned-video-geek, much like
myself, and was already renting space to Avid editor Ethan Gussow. That
got the wheels spinning in my head. I thought, "Gee, wouldn’t it be
cool if Randy had an extra room we could cram our gear into?"
As it turned out, Randy had been outsourcing his motion-design work, an
area in which I specialize. So we worked out a deal in which Anne -Lise
and I rent space (and operate independently) inside Broadness, but also
collaborate with Randy and Ethan on some ongoing projects and in
pitching new business as a one-stop shop. Randy gets in-house motion
design, and we get access to his high-end tape decks and encoders. It’s
a win-win situation that so far has worked out well for everyone
involved.
How to Make It Work
1. CAN YOU STAND EACH OTHER?
If you’re considering joining forces with others, the first
thing to consider is the personalities involved. As Regau Flowers of
SliceGroove, a production company in Port Washington, NY, points out,
"You’re going to be working together late into the night, so you’d
better get along." When asked about the best way to handle difficult
personalities, Regau chuckles, perhaps only half-joking, "With a big
stick."
2. GET IT ALL IN WRITING.
Once you’re convinced you’ve chosen the right partner(s), you need to
put in writing all the financial terms of the venture. This can be a
minefield, as the costs of setting up shop can quickly drive a new
company into the ground. "A lot of businesses put themselves in the
position of having to make $50,000 a month or they won't be able to pay
the bills. That's not a good place to be for a start-up," says Jim
Barrett, co-founder of Edge Creative in Burbank, CA.
3. BE FLEXIBLE.
Barrett and the production company’s co-founder Chris McKinley tackle
the money issue by having facilities and staff that can “expand and
contract as needed,” he says. They rent empty suites and
editing/graphics systems from Christy’s, a rental house in Burbank,
increasing or decreasing the number of rooms and systems based on
workload. They also draw from LA’s large pool of freelance talent.
“This allows us to maintain the quality of what we’re doing without
taking a huge risk,” says McKinley.
4. FIND A BIZ PARTNER ONLINE
The Internet offers even more possibilities for teaming up, as
Massachusetts-based James Burke and Maryland-based Ed Jose did in 1999.
The two own and operate mBlaze, a multimedia design company, even
though 500 miles separate them. “Being in two places has advantages as
far as pitching new business—we have twice as many opportunities for
face-to-face interaction with potential clients,” says Burke. The pair
collaborates on interactive CD-ROM projects by exchanging media and
project files via FTP and E-mail. If you’re considering this kind of
workflow, Burike stresses the need to “keep on top of project and asset
versions, otherwise you might be making changes to a version that’s
different from what the other person is working on.”
5. GET GEEKY AND DEVELOP YOUR OWN PROJECT TRACKER
To handle and manage the flow of project and asset versions among a
large or remote staff, Luiz Landgraf of Chicago -based Machete came up
with a powerful, yet inexpensive solution. "We created our own
application with Cold Fusion and Flash that allows remote talent and
clients to view and download assets using a Web browser. You don’t need
to spend big money to develop this sort of thing, as long as you know
the ins-and-outs of your workflow."
6. DON"T GET TOO SPECIALIZED
Taking the next step up from being a one-to-two person home-based
operation can be a major challenge, but the new business and creative
possibilities are well worth it. Above all, it’s very important to stay
versatile. As Ethan Gussow puts it, “You need access to a lot of tools,
because you just never know [what potential projects will walk through
your door].”
7. REMEMBER: YOU'RE IN THIS TOGETHER
And never forget the most important components in any business—the
people. As Randy Hudson said while shaking my hand to seal our deal,
“Once you’re under the same roof, it’s all about mutual success.”
Bob Dolan is an award-winning editor, animator and mucisian, the co-owner of Bleecker Street Productions and the author of the book Avid Xpress PRo and DV on the Spot. He just returned from a concert/press tour in Peru with his band, Dasher.
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